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It only took seven days for the biggest carmakers out there to invest in companies that would typically be considered rivals. BMW is now a shareholder of the carpool-platform Scoop, Volkswagen decided to buy Gett shares, while Toyota chose Uber for its investment.
It all started when GM became a shareholder of the ride-hailing service Lyft a few months ago.
According to the New York Times “automakers have become increasingly concerned about those technologies, and their potential to help people travel easily and cheaply without owning a car — or even without knowing how to drive.”
What is the reason behind these collaborations? The basic ingredient for these businesses to work out: the car. All these apps and car-sharing services would not function if we took the vehicles out of the equation. This way, the before mentioned carmakers become the premier providers for these services to continue existing. The Toyota partnership gives Uber drivers cars at an attractive price, and GM is doing the same thing for Lyft. And we can expect the same to happen for Volkswagen with the Gett service and BMW with Scoop.
Because the term of “ride-sharing” brings to mind the repetitive use of the same vehicle, automakers had to find a way to increase their sales even if it meant accepting they cannot stop the trend of taxis and ride-hailing. That, however, did not guarantee them success. Avis turned the car sharing pioneer Zipcar into a car-rental offering, while Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen launched their own car sharing ventures, but without too much success. As a matter of fact, Volkswagen left its Quicar car sharing services a number of months ago.
Car sales in America are doing well at the moment and so is Uber, and drivers are still looking to buy their own cars. And with Uber asking their drivers to have their own cars, automakers are there to cater for their needs and their own financial growth.


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Star Wars is one of the highest grossing film series ever produced. Besides its earnings at the box office, the Star Wars franchise has sold billions of dollars in toys, video games, books, and other merchandise since the first film’s release in 1977. Fans will soon get to get their hands on one of the most sought after movie memorabilia from the iconic franchise.
UK-based Propstore is holding a four-day entertainment memorabilia live auction at their US headquarters in Valencia, CA between June 21-24. According to DailyMail, the hottest item on the list is the screen-matched miniature model of ILM’s ‘Red Leader’ X-Wing starfighter from Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977, which is estimated cost between $500K and $1 million.
The list also includes, the Everlast boxing shorts that Will Smith donned as Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann’s 2001 biopic Ali, which is expected to fetch between $1,500-$2,500. The SFX insert hand that Johnny Depp wore as the titular role in Tim Burton’s 1990 film Edward Scissorhands is expected score between $30K-$50K.
Propstore COO Brandon Alinger expects items worn by the 53-year-old Oscar winner and the 58-year-old Oscar nominee might earn more considering their recent headline-grabbing scandals. Alinger said in a statement to Reuters
“At the moment, we are hearing a lot of people talk about Will Smith, we are hearing a lot of people talk about Johnny Depp,”
“I do think that will bring about special attention, in part just because it causes people to revisit their work and revisit their titles.”
The whole auction is expected to amass a whopping $9 million. There are more than 1,800 rare and iconic items going up for sale during Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction. You can check out some pictures of the items on auction below. Stay tuned to Thirsty for further updates.
What’s your take on this story? Sound off in the comments.

domain: news


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TreeCard secures $5.12 million seed round led by EQT Ventures
By Megha Bhattacharya
TreeCard, a wooden Mastercard payment card, has secured $5.12 million seed round led by EQT Ventures, with participation from Seedcamp and Episode 1. Angel investors including Matt Robinson (the founder of GoCardless) and Charlie Delingpole (founder of ComplyAdvantage) also participated in the round.
The funding will be used to hire FinTech talent, support product roll-out across the UK, and expand into the US and key European markets.
Jamie Cox, CEO and Co-Founder commented, “We wanted to create a financial product with a difference, one that was far removed from greenwashing and allowed customers to improve the impact of their spending without drastically changing their habits. We’re really excited to be backed by EQT Ventures; it was clear throughout the fundraising process that the team really understood and resonated with our mission. As a multi-stage fund, EQT Ventures’ presence across both Europe and the US provides the perfect springboard for us to launch into international markets”.
TreeCard links with current bank accounts, making it easy and convenient for users to integrate TreeCard into their usual spending habits. The card is completely free to customers and regular purchases contribute to tree planting projects by Ecosia, the green search engine; at least 80% of profits go straight to reforestation projects in 26 countries around the world.
Tom Mendoza, Deal Partner at EQT Ventures who led the investment added, “TreeCard has the potential to become a leading green finance brand, going where no brand has gone before in creating a de facto platform for impactful financial management. At EQT Ventures, we’re increasingly aware of the environment and the impact that our investments have on the world around us, so we’re really excited to support the TreeCard team, who are actively working with the financial system to create a better future for the planet”.
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Instagram has launched a new feature called Live Rooms enabling up to four people to broadcast at the same time...
Twitter has expanded the beta for its Spaces social audio platform to Android devices. The social media giant had previously..
Clubhouse Surpasses 10 Million Users After Musk, Zuckerberg, Rogan, and MrBeast Join and Starts Drawing More Scrutiny
Independent researcher Vajresh Balaji reported last week that the social audio network Clubhouse surpassed 10 million registered users as of..
Clubhouse may have grabbed most of the headlines, but social audio startups are appearing and expanding rapidly as more people..
Clubhouse caused some surprise in the tech community last year when secured a $100 million valuation on a $10 million..


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Shares of used-car dealership Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) were a wreck on February 24, trading more than 16% lower after the company reported fourth-quarter results that missed analysts’ views by a wide margin.
The company reported a $7.61 per share loss on revenue of $2.84 billion, down 24% from the year-earlier quarter. The number of retail units sold decreased by 23%, to 86,977.
Analysts were eyeing a loss of $2.18 per share and $3.06 billion in revenue.
In a letter to shareholders, the company minced no words about its current problems, saying, “The story of 2022 is straightforward.”
The letter, authored by CEO Ernie Garcia and CFO Mark Jenkins, explained that the company entered 2022 and positioned for growth similar to what it had experienced in the previous nine years. However, “after the pandemic, snarled automotive supply chains and historically rapidly rising interest rates combined to impact the affordability of used cars dramatically.”
Shifted Away From Growth
Garcia and Jenkins added that rising interest rates and market sentiment shifted the company’s priorities from growth and profitability.
“This led to markedly lower volumes than we had positioned for and, as a result, we have been carrying excess costs,” they said.
The company has pivoted toward better efficiency and cost reduction, which is likely code for further layoffs. The company already laid off about 4,000 employees in 2022 and 2023.
However, to avoid bankruptcy, the company must also pivot back to growth, something it intends to do. That’s a quandary, given that growth and retrenchment are different corporate objectives. This means Carvana may continue to sputter along as it tries to reconcile two strategic goals.
On the cost-cutting side, Carvana intends to manage its inventory better and continue mitigating its advertising budget, among other measures.
On the growth side, Garcia and Jenkins touted the company’s May 2022 acquisition of physical car auctioneer Adesa. In hindsight, that acquisition, clearly intended to supercharge growth, was especially ill-timed, as it occurred just months before used-car prices peaked.
They emphasized, however, that the company’s focus remains on efficiency over growth.
“At this time, we do not expect to make significant near-term investments in infrastructure buildout at Adesa sites given our current focus on achieving near-term efficiency gains by leveraging our current reconditioning capacity,” they wrote.
Carvana shares rallied 114.56% in January, likely as it became the focus of day traders’ meme-stock frenzy.
While trading meme stocks can be a fun pastime, and for a select few, perhaps occasionally offers the opportunity to pocket a few bucks, it’s risky business to mess with unprofitable companies amid turmoil. That describes all the stocks that have become memes in the past few years.
Driving Straight Into Bankruptcy?
In the case of Carvana, the company may be driving headlong into bankruptcy. The company’s long-term debt burden stands at $6.975 billion, excluding the current portion, which is the principal and interest due to be paid within a year. That amount is $201 million.
Of course, while deploying revenue to service the current portion and pay operating expenses, there’s not much, if anything, remaining to address that debt load. However, Garcia and Jenkins were adamant that the company can work past its problems.
Analysts are not so sure, though. After the fourth-quarter report, Wedbush reiterated its underperform rating and Deutsche Bank lowered its price target.
Although the decline in used-car prices affected Carvana rivals, such as Carmax Inc. (NYSE: KMX), its debt burden and specific missteps resulted in Carvana facing the real possibility of bankruptcy.
It may seem tempting to scoop up shares and quickly sell them when the stock does manage to tick higher, possibly in tandem with the broad market. However, that’s generally called “playing with fire.” When a stock faces bankruptcy, even if managers make the right noises about controlling things, the reality of a high debt load doesn’t go away overnight or by thinking positive thoughts. Use caution when you see a stock like this.


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Marks and Spencer customers have delivered a damning verdict on Huddersfield town centre - and one she will be taking her custom to Halifax in future.
Shoppers spoke to ExaminerLive on Saturday as staff prepared to shut the doors for the final time, ending an era going back to 1894.
Many had picked up bargains in the closing down sale but were disappointed that another store was about to bite the dust.
Karen Heneghan from Netherton , a shopper at the M&S store for 25 years, said closure was a "devastating" blow for the town.
"It's absolutely shocking and devastating for Huddersfield," she said.
"I don't know what Kirklees (Council) are doing. They should make things happen before we lose all our shops. I think this building will end up sitting empty like British Home Stores."
Tahira Zaman of Fartown , a M&S customer for 30 years, said the closure was a "very sad day".
"It's the only main shop in Huddersfield. All the rest have closed. I don't have transport to go further. We buy food and clothes from this store.
"They have had great sales in the past, with 80% off. I think (the building) will end up empty like BHS."
Outlane couple Michael and Susan Booth praised M&S for its food and clothing and said they would continue to shop in the town centre.
" We go to Kingsgate a lot, and to Boots," said Susan.
"Quite a few (shops) are shutting in the town centre but we like shopping in Huddersfield, it's a nice place to come."
Margaret Greenwood of Oakes was downbeat about the town's retail future, saying: "There's nothing in the town once this goes. I am not pleased and other people won't be, especially those that shop (at M&S) for food."
She added: "When I first came here (from Rochdale) 53 years ago it was a lovely little town. I think it's spoiled now and not very nice. I will probably just visit once a week on a Saturday."
Huddersfield woman Karen Balawi described the M&S closure as "a shame" and described the town centre as looking "dreadful".
"There's nothing left now; it's dreadful. I went into the market and there's nothing left in there. It's a sad day."
Ann Walker of Ainley Top intends to shop in Halifax - which has an M&S store in the Woolshops centre - for food and clothes in future.
"There's no big stores in Huddersfield any more. Who is going to want to come to Huddersfield shopping when there's nothing to chose from?
She added: "Anybody who wants a day out isn't going to come to Huddersfield. We came down on the 9.30am bus and we are leaving less than an hour later. I will be going to Halifax next week."
Mum and daughter Ann Cornelly and Siobhan Kershaw said they would consider shopping at the M&S food store at Waterloo but not everyone could do so and parking could be difficult.
"We are gutted (M&S has closed)", said Siobhan.
"I come here three times a week for food," said her mum. "I have shopped all my life in Huddersfield but the main high street is now awful."
The nearest M&S stores are the Simply Food Foodhall at Gallagher Retail Park, Waterloo . The Halifax store is around nine miles away and the store at the Junction 27 retail park, Birstall, is 11 miles away.
Earlier this year a spokesman for M&S said closing the Huddersfield store had been a "difficult decision".
Huddersfield was one of 17 stores M&S announced plans to close.
It first opened in 1894, 10 years after the company was founded in Leeds. It closed in 1925, then reopened in its present unit in New Street in 1934.


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By Neil Irwin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 14, 2008
Retail sales plummeting. The dollar at a new low against other world currencies. A 60 percent jump in U.S. home foreclosures. A major investment fund going kaput.
This is what a reordering of the world economy looks like in real time.
Don't think of yesterday's economic news as discrete events. They are small pieces of a much bigger reversal in a series of imbalances that made Americans feel richer than they were and created unsustainable distortions in the world economy that are now righting themselves.
Americans are consuming less, and their houses and other assets are becoming less valuable. Painful as they may be, in the long run, both trends must happen to restore sustainable growth. But in the short run, they are wrenching changes that are probably causing a recession.
The weaker U.S. economy, combined with low interest rates due to Federal Reserve rate cuts, has made traders around the world less inclined to buy dollars. Thus, the value of a dollar fell below 100 yen yesterday for the first time since 1995, and slumped to a new low against the euro. Unpleasant as that is for people planning European vacations, it should help cushion the blow to the economy by making U.S. exporters more competitive.
On the way up, a worldwide boom of cheap credit fueled consumer spending, kept the U.S. economy strong and artificially boosted the prices of real estate and other assets. Now the reverse is happening. Lenders made too much money available, taking on too much risk for too-low interest rates. The pullback is reflected in yesterday's other big business news, the default of Carlyle Capital, a fund operated by District-based private-equity giant Carlyle Group.
The Carlyle fund had increased its returns by borrowing money from banks to buy securities backed by mortgages. When the value of those securities fell and lenders demanded more collateral, lenders took control of the fund and began dumping its assets into a market that was already swimming in such securities.
Simultaneously, the lessening availability of credit is causing consumers to spend less. That causes lenders to be more cautious, making the credit problems more severe. It is what leaders of the Federal Reserve call an "adverse feedback loop."
There was clear evidence yesterday that Americans are spending less. The Commerce Department reported that retail sales fell 0.6 percent in February, a sign that consumers are bringing their spending more in line with what they can afford after a decade of spending beyond their means. Auto dealers and restaurants took the biggest hits, as people delayed purchases of new cars and saved money by eating in.
This pullback by consumers and reduction in credit availability are behind the increase in home foreclosures that RealtyTrac announced yesterday. The 60 percent jump reflects the fact that U.S. assets are becoming less valuable, making consumers poorer. With home prices down 8.9 percent in the past year (according to the Case-Schiller index), the dollar lower and stock prices down, we aren't as rich as we thought we were.
"The distress we are seeing in the credit markets, the pullback in consumer spending, the retreat in the dollar -- these are really all part of the same story," said David A. Rosenberg, chief economist at Merrill Lynch. "We had a dramatic overextension of credit and consumption growth for a long time."
In economics textbooks, such a rejiggering of economic forces happens in a nice straight line. In practice, it happens haltingly, with world markets on edge, day after day. Days like yesterday, full of jangled nerves and creeping panic.
Washington policymakers are trying to keep this adjustment of the world economy as orderly as possible, trying to prevent the economic undertow from hurting too many Americans.
In a survey released yesterday by the Wall Street Journal, 71 percent of economists said they thought the economy was in recession.
The Bush administration and the Federal Reserve stress that they're not trying to prevent fundamental adjustments. Home prices need to come in line with fundamentals, as do spending and savings rates. Credit needs to become available at prices commensurate with risk.
"It's by no means all bad that the U.S. is slowing down," said Adam S. Posen, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "Because at some point we've got to repay all the debt we have accumulated."
So policymakers have adopted strategies that don't stand in the way of that repricing. For example, this week the Fed agreed to let Wall Street firms obtain up to $200 billion worth of ultra-safe Treasury bonds in exchange for spurned mortgage debt, an effort to bring stability to that market. But it has refused to buy those mortgage assets outright, which would prop up their price.
The Bush administration has supported various proposals to make it easier for people to refinance into government-insured mortgages and has enacted a stimulus program to bolster consumer spending in the second half of the year by sending tax-rebate checks to 130 million Americans. But it has vehemently resisted proposals through which the government would buy mortgage debt.
"I've never seen a government be able to circumvent the business cycle in a capitalist economy, but at the same time, the government is going to pull out all the stops to minimize the instability," Rosenberg said. "The grim reality is that recessions are a part of life. It's like surgery. You don't feel good as you get out of the operating room, but inevitably there's a healing process and things get better."


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IRVINE, CA–(Marketwired – Jan 6, 2015) – Rant, a leading sports, lifestyle and entertainment media company, today announced the latest version of BrandRant, a native advertising content platform for brand marketers. BrandRant is Rant’s premium native content offering and provides its advertising partners with the opportunity to take advantage of the same engaging content environment that Rant’s passionate user base enjoys. By the end of 2014, Rant reached 35 million monthly unique users — Rant’s ability to grow its audience so quickly with just over $7 million in funding to date validates that providing user and advertiser with rich, entertaining content is core to its success.
Rant delivers edgy, opinionated content across a variety of highly targeted vertical topic areas and recently launched eleven new sites including RantCars, RantGizmo, and RantMovies to complement its original three properties, RantSports, RantChic and RantLifestyle. All of the new sites will now be part of the BrandRant platform. With BrandRant, agencies and their clients can create custom content experiences that leverage the same editorial resources that Rant users have grown to love and are able to target their audience in the specific content categories most relevant to their customers and prospects. With the addition of more sites and branded content options, advertisers are benefitting from industry-leading engagement levels and more time spent with their content.
Leading global agency Havas has already had significant success on the BrandRant platform. “We’re thrilled with the results we’ve seen from the BrandRant campaigns we’ve executed to date,” said Rob Griffin, EVP, Global Head of Digital, Havas. “Our campaigns have been well integrated into Rant’s content and we’ve been able to deliver more of the engaging and entertaining experiences the audience has come to expect from the Rant brand. Engagement metrics speak to how well the BrandRant content resonates with our audience and we’ve seen significant ROI and sales lifts as a result.”
“We’re thrilled to offer our expanded BrandRant platform to agencies and brand advertisers — it represents an even more robust way to engage with our audience through content that is more contextually relevant and is deeply tied to the rest of their experience across Rant’s sites,” said Brett Rosin, CEO at Rant. “Our partnership with Havas is representative of what we can offer to agencies and advertisers and has so far proven to be invaluable not just for the deep engagement it delivers to marketers but also to demonstrate to the industry as a whole that consumers are increasingly receptive to brand storytelling via compelling content and not just creative visuals.”
About Rant, Inc.
Rant, Inc., a leading creator and distributor of online media, owns and operates a growing network of opinionated sports, lifestyle and entertainment sites. The sites cover a range of topics represented in its expanding portfolio which includes RantSports, RantLifestyle, RantChic, RantCars, RantMovies, RantGamer, RantGizmo, RantDating, RantFood, RantPets, RantBeats, RantPlaces, RantFinance, and RantPolitical.
Across all of its sites, Rant leverages its broad network of more than 400 paid writers across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to provide male and female enthusiast audiences with entertaining and engaging content. Major brands partner with Rant to develop unique native content experiences for its passionate audiences in targeted verticals and across its fully transparency network.
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The ugly trade numbers come as policymakers seek to balance virus containment measures against the need to revive battered parts of the economy, with the risk of a second wave of infections only complicating this challenge.
The central bank will hold an emergency meeting on Friday to work out a scheme that would encourage financial institutions to lend to smaller, struggling firms. Policymakers are also considering cash injections for companies of all sizes.
Ministry of Finance (MOF) data on Thursday showed Japan’s exports fell 21.9% in April year-on-year as U.S.-bound shipments slumped 37.8%, the fastest decline since 2009, with car exports there plunging 65.8%.
Global automakers are struggling to cope with the health crisis, which has pummelled car sales due to lockdowns in many countries. Toyota Motor Corp expects an 80% drop in full-year operating profit while Mitsubishi Motors Corp has reported an 89% drop in annual profit.
The fall in overall shipments was the biggest since October 2009 during the global financial crisis, but slightly less than a 22.7% decrease seen by economists in a Reuters poll. Exports fell 11.7% in March.
“It’s still far from a fully fledged resumption of economic activity,” said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. “As exports and imports remain stagnant for a prolonged period of time, global trade will remain contractionary for the time being.”
Exports to China, Japan’s largest trading partner, fell 4.1% in the year to April, due to slumping demand for chemical materials, car parts and medicines.
Shipments to Asia, which account for more than half of Japanese exports, declined 11.4%, and exports to the European Union fell 28.0%.
Other trade-reliant economies in Asia have also been hit with data on Thursday showing South Korea’s exports slumping by a fifth in the first 20 days of May, year-on-year.
Industry data released last week showed Japan’s machine tool orders in April fell to their lowest level in more than a decade, a sign of deteriorating business spending.
Japan’s economy slipped into recession for the first time in 4-1/2 years, putting the nation on course for its deepest postwar slump as the pandemic ravages businesses and consumers.
Aware of her elements, Neha writes the best articles across industries including electronics & semiconductors, automotive & transportation and food & beverages. Being from the finance background she has the ability to understand the dynamics of every industry and analyze the news updates to form insightful articles. Neha is an energetic person interested in music, travel, and entertainment. Since past 5 years, she written extensively on sectors like technology, finance and healthcare.
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Wakefern Food Corp., the largest grocery wholesale co-op in the country, reported it had reached a record sales level of $14.1 billion in retail volume for the fiscal year ending September 28, 2013, a 3.9 percent increase from the same period last year. Additionally, the Keasbey, NJ firm said its achieved $11.4 billion in consolidated sales. Wakefern chairman and CEO Joe Colalillo, and president and COO Joe Sheridan made the announcement at the Wakefern’s annual shareholder meeting in East Brunswick, NJ on October 24.
During the past 12 months, the cooperative opened 10 new ShopRite stores, four new PriceRite stores and one new The Fresh Grocer store during the same period. In addition, the company expanded its ShopRite from Home services to 172 stores.
At the meeting, the company also welcomed Charles Gallagher, Joseph Cowhey and Patrick Burns as new members of the cooperative. Gallagher owns and operates the ShopRite of Selden, NY; Cowhey owns and operates the ShopRite of Warminster, PA; and Burns owns and operates one ShopRite store in Drexel Hill, PA and seven The Fresh Grocer locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
“Since its founding 67 years ago, Wakefern has continued to thrive in an ever-evolving and rapidly changing marketplace,” stated Colalillo. “As our customers’ needs continue to change, it is no longer enough for our stores to have the same logo to deliver a unified shopping experience. We will – and must – unite in a shared purpose and commitment to our communities, our customers and our associates to build upon past successes and achieve the next level of excellence.”
Wakefern shareholders also re-elected Colalillo as chairman and CEO; James Sumas, Larri Wolfson and Irv Glass as vice chairmen; Lawrence Inserra Jr. as treasurer; Richard Saker, Jeffrey Brown and Kenneth Capano as assistant treasurers; Dominick J. Romano as secretary; Ned Gladstein, Joel Perlmutter and Steven Ravitz as assistant secretaries; and named Rocco Cingari, Robert Clare, Lawrence Collins, Jon Greenfield, Charles Infusino, Bernard Kenny, Vincent Lo Curcio III, Leonard Sitar, Richard Tully and Richard McMenamin to its board of directors. Sheridan was also re-elected as president and COO.


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Top selling doll Action Man is being relaunched next year and owner
Hasbro UK is drawing up a shortlist to appoint a new PR agency.
Mark Borkowski Press and PR has handled the brand for the past four
years but Hasbro has decided to bring in a new agency on the
In a statement Borkowski said both the agency and Hasbro felt it was
appropriate point to end the relationship. Borkowski will concentrate on
its client base while Hasbro will seek a new agency to build on the PR
work already completed.
The new agency will also be required to promote the new Transformers
toy, Beast Wars, and toys from the film Star Wars.
Hasbro PR account manager Keeley-Ann Stent said: ’We have started the
process now and aim to have a shortlist by mid-January.’
The action toy market was worth around pounds 138 million in 1998,
according to survey company NPD, and Hasbro estimates that Action Man
has a 50 per cent share of that market.
P The London Arena has hired Mark Borkowski Press and PR to help
relaunch the entertainment and sports venue following its pounds 8
million summer refurbishment.
Borkowski was awarded the retained account this week and will target
consumers and the business community to raise the venue’s profile.
Annual fees are understood to amount to a six-figure sum.


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LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Aspiration, a new online investment firm created explicitly for the middle class, today launched with the goal of democratizing the financial services industry. Aspiration features a revolutionary fee model and an approach that combines investing with charitable giving.
"Aspiration was founded on the idea that an investment firm should trust its customers and that a company can do well by doing good," said Andrei Cherny, founder and CEO of Aspiration. "Wall Street has shut out the everyday investor for far too long and a result is America's growing wealth gap. We want Aspiration to be an investment firm where people can build value without having to park their values at the front door."
"There is growing demand among retail investors for an investment firm like Aspiration, whose success will benefit from a social conscience," said Jeff Skoll, the founding president of eBay and a member of Aspiration's Board of Advisors. "The company's radical approach to its customers' fees relies on a trust-based model, consistent in spirit with an approach that I saw drive eBay's early success. It's a bold bet and one that I believe will shake up a financial industry that could use some positive disruption."
Aspiration's model includes three key elements that distinguish it from Wall Street investment firms:
Let customers choose the fee they pay. Instead of charging a set fee, Aspiration allows its customers to decide how much to pay the company – even if that number is zero. Aspiration calls this approach "Pay What Is Fair," and while it has been tried before in one-off fashion, this is the first time it has been brought to the investment world and the first time a company has built its business model on this "radical trust" approach.
A "buy and give" model. Aspiration is bringing the "buy/give" model of companies that make a donation for every purchase to the investment world. With its "Dimes Worth of Difference" commitment, Aspiration will donate ten cents of every dollar from revenue to charitable activities around expanding economic opportunity in the U.S. Its founding partner in this is the ACCION U.S. network, America's largest nonprofit provider of micro-loans. On Aspiration.com, customers have a "Do Well" dashboard with their various investments as well as a "Do Good" dashboard that makes it possible for them to give to the charitable cause of their choice.
Access for the middle class. Aspiration is focused on the middle class investors who have been ignored by the big Wall Street investment banks built to serve millionaires.
Aspiration will offer a low minimum investment level and will be designed to fit the unique needs and life circumstances of everyday investors. It also features a maximum investment level so that it maintains its focus on its customers.
Cherny is a former Clinton White House aid and financial fraud prosecutor who helped Elizabeth Warren launch the fight for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Based in Los Angeles, Aspiration attracted more than $4.5 million in backing before its launch from technology and finance leaders who share its mission of bringing democratized access, treating customers fairly, and focusing on both profits as well as a larger purpose. Skoll and Gilt Groupe founder Alexis Maybank are among the well-known names on Aspiration's Board of Advisors.
Aspiration will be inviting people to become customers during an initial invitation-only period. Individuals can join the waiting list and move up in line based on how much they share information about Aspiration on social media.
For more information, visit www.aspiration.com.
For still images of Aspiration's website and other assets, visit press.aspiration.com.
Aspiration is an online investment firm with a conscience – created for the 21st century middle class, committed to giving, and built on putting unprecedented trust in the hands of its customers. Using cutting-edge technology, Aspiration allows customers to set their own fee and donates 10% of its revenue to charitable giving around spreading economic opportunity to more Americans. Its investment services exist exclusively on Aspiration.com. Aspiration Fund Adviser, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aspiration Partners, LLC, is an investment adviser registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
SOURCE Aspiration Partners, LLC


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The rumors regarding the phone apple iPhone 6 smartphone release date continue to fly. The Logs for the Developer App usage has revealed that Apple has launched the testing of its next generation smartphones and the operating System which has been tentatively named as apple iPhone 6.
The Tech industry analyst are referring iPhone 5S to the upcoming device, but another possible name is yet to reveal by the Apple.
Apple iPhone 6 Smartphone Sales , Revenue and Specification
Apple iPhone 6 smartphone price in Market
Till now the Apple has been very Consistent regarding their price Strategy. So, it can be automatically assumed that the iPhone 6 price fairly not so cheap and it will be around 21,000, and 45,000 numbers.
The price of iPhone 6 will be varying country by country according to the TAX and the Customer Costs.
Extra Features in iPhone 6 smartphone
According to the Time Magazines Tecland it is declared that in all likelihood the iPhone 6 will be Cord Free and this is the normal expectation as the inductive Charging becomes more and more popular by the time.
The inductive Charging applies the Principle of electromagnetic to charge the devices in a wireless way and it will lead to less e-waste.
The iPhone 6 lighter and slimmer compare to the other iPhones and the camera of the iPhone 6 received many more improvements.
The iPhone 6 feature the best camera with some of the advance technology, the apple iPhone 6 completely replace the point and shoot digital cameras. It is going to be quite much easier to organize and access your files and photos in the Apple iPhone 6 smartphone.
Apple iPhone 6 smartphone Sales in Market
Apple has sold 1.5 Billion iPhones, a record for its third quarter, compared to 1 Million a year ago.
It company made $17.9 billion in profit and $78.4 billion in revenue, compared to $18.4 billion in profit and $75.87 billion in revenue in Q1 of 2016.
The company’s gross margin was 38.5 percent. These results beat Apple’s guidance for the quarter, which predicted revenue between $45.5 billion and $45.7 billion and a profit margin between 37.5 and 38 percent.
Apple iPhone has reported a second consecutive drop in quarterly profits despite a significant increase in iPhone sales. So, it is going to be seem how much profit will be their after releasing of iPhone 6.
Buy Now Through Amazon.com


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On March 23, 2023, Irving Consumer Products Limited, an affiliate of J.D. Irving Limited, announced Royale tissue products have been certified carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust.
The Carbon Trust is a non-profit organization with a mission to accelerate the move to a decarbonized future by partnering with leading businesses, governments and financial institutions to accelerate their route to net zero.
Royale’s certification covers all tissue products sold in Canada (bath, facial, napkin and towel tissue products) from cradle to grave, in accordance with the PAS 2060:2014 standard. This includes the carbon footprint of input materials, production and distribution of the products.
A large part of Royale’s carbon offsets come from land management. The company harvests less than two per cent of the forest it manages, to ensure more wood is grown than it harvests each year. The Irving Forest Supply Chain started measuring Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions in 2008 and has reduced its emissions intensity by 37 per cent since then.
“Ensuring Royale tissue products remain carbon neutral is one step in the fight against climate change and is part of our overall commitment to caring about the environment.”
– Stewart Van Horn, Corporate Vice President, Environment, Health, Safety and Operational Excellence at J.D. Irving, Limited


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Listen Now: British Retailers
The future is grim for U.S. retailers, and things aren’t looking so bright across the pond either.
After a slow December, economists and retailers were hoping sales numbers in Britain would bounce back but that does not appear to be the case. Right now in Britain shoppers are dealing with personal hardships including salary cuts and higher borrowing costs. And while that is causing them to steer clear of extra spending, experts say the real problem is how people are shopping.
Instead of going to clothing boutiques or big box stores, people are spending money on travel, eating out and delivery services. Technology is getting the bigger percentage of their paychecks and now stores unable to bear the cost are closing their doors and retail spaces are sitting vacant.
And things over here aren’t much better with Toys ‘R’ Us filing for bankruptcy and major department stores such as JC Penney and Sears planning on closing dozens of locations. Now, as they are here, British Retailers are looking for ways to adapt and keep customers coming in the door or at the very least clicking on their website.
CBS News Radio national business journalist Brian Banmiller has spent more than 40 years in the news industry, covering business, politics and the economy on television, radio and in print. Currently, his “Banmiller on Business” reports are delivered to an audience of millions nationwide.


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A few weeks before the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Lotus announced they would "blow the top off" at the show. Back then, we all thought that we would see a Convertible version of the Evora, but we were so wrong. Lotus has decided to bring out the fastest roadster ever: the Exige S Roadster.
Based off the new Exige S, the roadster model will be powered by the same supercharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine that delivers a total of 345 horsepower. This engine sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds and to 100 mph in 8.5 seconds. Being that this is a Roadster, safety precautions deem it necessary to lower the top speed from 170 mph to 145 mph.
The Exige S Roadster weighs just 2,447 pounds and features the same design elements as the coupe, except of course for its factory-fitted soft top roof that makes the car look even more muscular than the coupe.
Now for the bad news: the new Lotus Exige S Roadster won’t make it to the U.S. market, as it will only be offered in markets like Europe and Asia.
UPDATE 4/30/2013: Lotus has unveiled a new video teasing the upcoming Exige S Roadster’s arrival in the summer of 2013. you can see the video above.
Hit the jump to read more about the Lotus Exige S Roadster.
This weekend was a very successful one for the Lotus Racing Team, as Kimi Räikkönen scored the first victory for the team during the first round of the FIA 2013 World Championship Formula One race in Melbourne, Australia.
According to Lotus officials, Kimi needed to face both the rain and a critical tire strategy. Still, he managed to preserve tire condition, pitting only twice over the 58-lap Albert Park course. What’s more, the fastest lap of the race was his at 1:29.274. This race was the 20th race for Räikkönen and the 81st for the Lotus team.
The race had seven different leaders, but Raikkonen held the lead on 43 of the 58 laps of the race. Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was second and Sebastian Vettel from Red Bull was the third on the finish line.
Next weekend the team will have to face another challenge: the second round of the competition taking place at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia.
Late last year, VW’s labor chief made it crystal clear that he would reject any additional expansion of the automakers umbrella, as they already have their hands full with the 12 brands that they are managing. Well, we were rather skeptical of that stance and threw out there that we highly doubt that VW is done just yet. And now, reports are pointing in just that direction.
In an interview with Reuters Television, Martin Winterkorn – VW’s CEO – said “We are currently well positioned with 12 brands, but there are always opportunities that one cannot pass up.” Surprise, surprise, Volkswagen would hop on the right deal if one popped up, regardless of what the labor chief thinks about it.
The pressing issue now is what brand would VW be interested in? At one point VW was interested in snagging up the resurging Alfa Romeo, but FIAT has made it clear that the brand is not for sale. So, what other brands could VW set its sights on? Well, there is one obvious troubled automaker that could use the shot in the arm that the German powerhouse provides, and that is Lotus.
Once a successful British sports car builder, Lotus still builds a quality machine but shoddy management and poor product planning has led it down a path that few automakers can recover from. A buyout would be cheap for Volkswagen and life saving for Lotus, so we wouldn’t be shocked to see a deal between the two in the next year or so.
Over the past few years, the Formula One hierarchy has three established teams: Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren. But if you paid any attention, you might have noticed that a fourth team quietly made a name for itself as the kind of dark horse contender in the next few years.
Led by former F1 champ, Kimi Raikkonen, and Roman Grosjean, Lotus has set its sights on bigger things in 2013. To kick off their run to the top of the leaderboard, the British-based F1 outfit unveiled their prized steed for the 2013 season: the E21.
Since there aren’t a whole lot of changes in the series’ regulations, the E21 isn’t too far away from its predecessor in both form and function. On that note, the chassis of the E21 comes with a molded-carbon-fiber and aluminum-honeycomb-composite monocoque that was and designed to ensure maximum strength with minimum weight.
There have also been some slight changes, though, particularly the new suspension layout and the slightly modified front wing that Lotus describes as a "continuation of concepts" dating back to 2009. Additionally, the new Coanda exhaust and the team’s modified passive double DRS system are looked at as two critical adjustments that could catapult Lotus into the ranks of the proverbial big leagues.
It certainly helps that they have one of the best drivers in Formula One in the always affable Raikkonen, who managed to finish 3rd in last year’s Driver’s Championship, despite having been out of Formula One for the past few years. If the E21 proves to be a better ride than the E20, then look for Kimi to make serious noise in the 2013 season.
After all, this result shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone considering the impressive specifications of the Venom GT. It is powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V-8 engine, same used in the Corvette ZR1 that delivers up to 1,200 horsepower, depending on the trim level. With a curb weight of 2,685 pounds, the 1,200-horsepower Venom GT will hit a top speed of 275 mph and will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds. As expected, such an impressive performance will set you back a nice sum — $950,000.
The test was made at Ellington Airport in Houston, Texas, USA on January 10, 2013.
A tumultuous 2012 has seen Lotus stumble to the brink of being irrelevant. However, the Malaysian-owned British automaker is determined to make amends in 2013, and to their credit, they’re off to a fast start with the upcoming debut of the Exige V6 CupR — a race-spec sports car that’s ready to ply its craft in numerous racing series this year.
The Exige V6 CupR is set to be unveiled at the 2013 Autosport International Show in Birmingham, England. Lotus is bringing the car to the show in an attempt to attract potential entrants to the newly-announced SRO GT4 European Trophy.
As far as we’re concerned, if we had a racing team and we were looking for new race cars, we’d take a real good look at the Exige V6 CupR and see how it’s going to stack up once you get to know more about it.
Speaking of getting to know more about, you can find out more details about the Exige V6 CupR after the jump.
Hennessey’s Venom GT coupe is a one of the baddest cars around and is limited to only five units and priced from an amazing $725,000. The Spyder, which was announced a few months after the coupe version, will be also limited to only five units and is a little bit more expensive at $1.1 million.
The first unit has been delivered to Steven Tyler — the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, for those that live under a rock — and today Hennessey has unveiled a video from the delivery. We are not too sure if he only received the car, or if the Latvian model, Jula Lescova, was offered as a bonus, but still the video is a great watch! Of course, you’ll have to try pay attention to the car — it is after all the star of this video! The extracurricular scenery isn’t too bad either…
Let us know in the comments section bellow if you will prefer the car or the model!
Lotus Evora is now enjoying the success Lotus was hopping for, so the company is looking for solutions to improve its sales. The latest solution found was the addition of a new "Sports Racer" package that was inspired by the Evora GTC that enjoyed a huge success in the MSA British Endurance Championship.
The model is further improving the mid-engined 3.5 liter V6 sports car and will be offered in both naturally-aspirated or supercharged versions. According to the official announcement the new Evora Sports Racer delivers "phenomenal performance, exclusive style, incredible excitement and genuine affordability." The model will be offered with an exclusive exterior color scheme and comes comes fully loaded with all the technologies currently offered by Lotus.
On the British market the new Evora Sports Racer is priced at £57,900 - round $94,300 at the current exchange rates for the naturally aspired version and at £65,900 - $107,300 - for the supercharged one.
Hit the jump to read more about the new Lotus Evora Sports Racer.
Back in 2011 Hennessey Performance has unveiled the Venom GT - a very cool customized Lotus Elise limited to just five units. And now, Italian company Composite Work has announced a very cool Extrema V8X package based on a Lotus Exige.
Composite Work replaced the car’s standard 275 HP 4-cylinder engine with a more powerful one: a LS9 V8 from the Chevrolet Corvette. With an output of 649 HP, this engine will sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, from 0 to 100 mph in 7 seconds and up to an impressive top speed of 200 mph.
The Lotus Extrema V8X will be featuring a carbon-fiber body work and will weight just 2138 lbs. On the interior it will get special SP-1 carbon fiber twin skin seats. And that huge rear wing on the rear not only improves the car’s aerodynamics but also makes it looking better than ever.
Last month, we reported that Lotus’ future was safe and that we may see a new Esprit on the roads. Today, British magazine, AutoCar, is offering a few more details on the rumored British supercar, including some insight on its powertrain.
AutoCar is reporting that the Esprit’s production is effectively complete, but there are still some lingering problems. Those problems are that Lotus is camshaft-deep in legal battles and unpaid bills, and lacks consistent management.
Rumor has it that if — and we stress if — the Esprit hits production, it will feature a 5.0-liter gasoline engine that works in unison with an F1-style KERS system. So what’s so great about that? Well, that will be good for a whopping 650 ponies beneath the Esprit’s sexy hood — 20 horsepower more than the initial rumors.
These 650 ponies are all well and good, but if it’s priced like the 918 Spyder, only a select few may actually be able to afford one. Lotus has your back there too, as Autocar is also putting out there that the Esprit will be closer to the price of a top-line 911, which is roughly £100,000 — around $160,000 at the current exchange rates.
Not only are we anxious to hear that Lotus still has some fight left in it, but we are also ecstatic to hear that the Esprit may return in impressive form and at a relative bargain. Stay tuned!


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BRADFORD, PA – April 11, 2018 – The Sawmill Center for the Arts is slated to open its Craft Market Saturday, April 14. The market is a consignment-type store where dozens of local artists sell their handmade creations.
“There are many talented artists and crafters in our area, and this is the place where they can earn some income for their work,” explains Karen Hazlett, executive director of the Sawmill Center for the Arts. “Our store has a unique collection, including hanging wall art, hand-woven baskets, loomed rugs, hand-turned wooden bowls, candles, jewelry, furniture and table coverings. We welcome new artists every year, so there is always something new and different.”
During the 2017 season, 60 crafters profited from selling items in the Sawmill’s Craft Market. Ten of these artisans made more then $1,000. The market is emptied and closed every November. During the past week, crafters have been bringing new merchandise to stock the store.
The Craft Market will be open Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. After Memorial Day weekend, the market will be open every day from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Sawmill Center for the Arts is a non-profit organization located at 140 Theatre Lane in Cook Forest State Park. For more information, visit www.sawmill.org.


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Kanye West has followed through on his threat to file a lawsuit over the digital currency known as Coinye.
The Hollywood Reporter says the lawsuit, which was filed in New York, names a number of defendants, partly because the creators of Coinye are anonymous. He’s targeting companies and individuals who are exchanging the currency.
One of the defendants is Amazon, which Kanye says provides Web hosting services to Coinye sites.
Kanye believes consumers could mistakenly believe he’s the mastermind behind Coinye, which features what appears to be a cartoon depiction of the rapper’s face.
It seems Kanye’s message is already getting through. One Coinye site has posted the following message: “Coinye is dead. You win, Kanye.”
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio


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With great anticipation, reports indicate that Netflix, Inc. has become the best performing stock on the S&P 500 for the year. It also attained the level of second most expensive. Despite the good news, there are also negative things to consider about the company.
What potential issues are there about Netflix? Experts say if you dig deep enough there are concerns about the company. There is a negative amount of free cash flow and the company has seen a significant increase the amount of liabilities of new movie and television show content. The company has also seen a significant increase in the number of subscribers who are not paying for their service.
However, Bloomberg reports “perceived limits on customer numbers and the high price of shares have led 26 of the 37 Bloomberg-listed analysts covering the stock to advise investors to sell or hold stakes.”
Netflix, which has a capitalization of almost $15 billion, spends about $500 million quarterly on content. Company filings show that the company has run a deficit free cash flow for the last two quarters.
When it comes to license streaming content and binding contracts, the company has $5.7 billion to pay out, with estimates indicating about $2.4 billion of that is due and payable in less than a year. The remaining $2.7 billion is due within the next one to three year time period.
Just last December, the company agreed to pay $350 million annually to have access to Walt Disney Co. movies, but those are estimates from outside analysts because Netflix declines to release such data.
One theory is that Netflix will address costs by raising subscription rates. However, when Netflix raised rates in 2011, there were as many as 800,000 subscriptions canceled. Stock had seen a high of $299 during that year and it then dropped to $63.86.
Currently, Netflix stock is gaining ground. The company’s closing high for 52 weeks was on July 17, settling at $261.96. During the second quarter, the company reported having obtained 630,000 new U.S. Internet Netflix subscribers for services.
Analysts have mixed feelings on whether to hold or sell stock in the movie and television giant at this time. When rates increase, subscribers may dwindle and the stock may suffer for a while, but again, it may on the rebound again soon. Investors seem to show an exciting enthusiasm for the stock regardless of the concerns.
For comments and suggestions, leave a message in the comments section below. Like and Follow our Facebook page for more stories and to stay up-to-date with the latest happenings.


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Each and every week, we scour the latest releases from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and we cram them all into the Trenda: New Nordic Pop Playlist on Spotify, making it the ultimate destination in which to explore the region’s hottest new tracks!
This week, we’ve got bright and fresh new tunes from Swedish songstress Marlene, Norwegian pop powerhouse Lovespeake and Danish newcomer Goss, among many others!
Returning with brand new sounds for us in Sweden’s Marlene, a phenomenal pop talent who’s preparing to smash through into other countries in 2017. Marlene’s gift lies in the quality of her voice, which can glide from note to note with seemingly no effort at all! On ‘Next To Me’, her remarkable voice comes accompanied by a stellar electronic backdrop, conjuring up the perfect soundtrack for glorious summer days.
‘Novocaine’ is the latest track to arrive from Norway’s Lovespeake, and this time, comes with added power provided by vocalist Max Frost. The track is the first new Lovespeake music to arrive since the release of 2016’s debut album DNA, and is a triumphantly understated piece of pristine pop – essential listening!
The third track that we’re highlighting from this week’s update comes from Danish newcomer Goss, who has had a huge start to 2017 with 4 tracks releases already! ‘Soo Bad’ is the newest addition to the Trenda: New Nordic Pop playlist, a brilliantly glitchy slice of cool electronica, with a seamless vocal gliding over the top. The year might’ve already held a bunch of single releases, but Goss doesn’t look like he’ll be stopping anytime soon – so check out his latest single, opening up this week’s Trenda: New Nordic Pop Playlist!


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Senator Bennet met with Gevo executives including chief executive officer Patrick Gruber, Ph.D. to discuss energy policy and see first-hand the innovative research and development Gevo has done that enabled it to become a leading provider of renewable biofuels and chemicals.
Gevo, a Colorado-based company, is the world's only commercial producer of isobutanol, a naturally occurring four carbon alcohol.
Isobutanol is an important platform chemical with broad applications in large chemicals and fuels markets and a "drop-in" product that should allow customers to replace petroleum-derived raw materials with isobutanol-derived raw materials without modification to their equipment or production processes. Isobutanol can drop into existing infrastructure, providing for easy integration into existing refining and petrochemical production processes.
Gevo's isobutanol has successfully cleared registration with the U.S. EPA as a fuel additive, is the first isobutanol to be listed in the EPA's Fuel Registration Directory, and is now approved for blending with gasoline. Additionally, Gevo worked with the United States Air Force (USAF) last June to provide fuel for the first successful "alcohol-to-jet" (ATJ) fuel test flight in an A-10 Thunderbolt II.
"We applaud Senator Bennet's support for the renewable energy industry and appreciate his visit to our headquarters to learn about the technology that makes Gevo a leading renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company," said Gruber.
Senator Bennet remarked that he very much enjoyed his visit to Gevo and said, "Colorado has a strong reputation as a hub for innovation and firms like Gevo are leading the way. By developing innovative techniques for converting biomass to fuel, Gevo is a critical part of developing a balanced national energy portfolio."
Gevo is a leading renewable chemicals and next-generation biofuels company. Gevo's patent-protected, capital-light business model converts existing ethanol plants into biorefineries to make isobutanol. This versatile chemical can be directly integrated into existing chemical and fuel products to deliver environmental and economic benefits.
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Ferrari has released the first teaser of the upcoming Roma Spider. Maranello has also confirmed that the convertible version of the Roma will debut on March 16, 2023.
We’ve learned that the Roma Spider launch event will be held in Marrakesh, Morocco. Journalists will get to drive the car soon after.
The drop-top Roma is expected to be powered by a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. In the coupe, this motor develops 611 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The Spider is likely to be slightly heavier than the coupe. However, that shouldn’t much of an issue as the Roma Spider is mor of a grand tourer than an outright performance car. Ferrari claims the coupe does 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 198 mph. So, the Spider’s performance figures should be in the same ballpark.


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* Chinese probe seen as retaliation over solar panel dispute
* Dispute remains thorn in Franco-Chinese trade relations
PARIS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Europe and China are moving
towards a compromise over a Chinese investigation into alleged
European wine dumping, French Trade Minister Nicole Bricq said
Beijing opened the inquiry last July into whether Europe was
selling wine in China at unfairly low prices.
The move is widely seen in Europe as retaliation over EU
efforts to hit Chinese solar panels with punitive import duties.
However, the solar panels dispute was resolved the same month,
and Beijing has pressed ahead with the wine probe, saying it is
a separate issue.
China has also said it is open to negotiate on the case.
France, the world's biggest wine producer by value, has in
the past called China's decision to consider duties on French
wine to be "inappropriate and reprehensible".
Paris is therefore eager to see the probe called off, as it
remains a thorn in trade relations between the two countries
ahead of a visit next month by Chinese President Xi Jinping to
the French capital.
"I am particularly happy to be able to say that we are on
the right path towards a compromise on the probe into wine,"
Bricq told a joint news conference with Chinese Commerce
Minister Gua Hucheng in Paris.
"The constructive dialogue between European and Chinese
industry officials should allow for a good compromise," she
Without specifically mentioning the wine probe, the Chinese
minister said he and Bricq had addressed problems in
Franco-China trade relations and said agreements would be
EU wine exports to China excluding Hong Kong, which EU
officials say was not covered by the investigation, reached 257
million litres in 2012 for a value of nearly $1 billion. More
than half came from France.
(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Andrew Callus)


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A small painting that renowned artist Keith Haring scrawled on the wall of his childhood home in Kutztown has sold at auction for $143,750.
The gold version of Haring’s “Radiant Baby” was painted by the artist on a royal blue, sheet rock wall just above a light switch. It was likely created during a visit by Haring to see his parents after he had moved out of the home.
The small piece, which was painted in what is believed to have been Haring’s childhood bedroom, is about four inches tall and five inches wide.
The artwork was sold by the home’s current owners, Angela and Scott Garner, who purchased the Victorian house on Whiteoak Street where Haring grew up nearly two decades ago.
It was included in Rago/Wright’s fall Post War and Contemporary Art auction, which took place Wednesday at Rago Auctions in Lambertville, N.J.
The sale price of the lot — which also included a pair of Haring posters the Garners found in the home and a set of four cubbies built by Haring’s father — far exceeded expectations. It was estimated the set would bring in $30,000 to $50,000.
The Garners said the wall painting was a major selling point when they bought the home in 2004. It was a popular discussion piece, Scott Garner said, and even drew visits from curious art students at nearby Kutztown University.
The couple said they decided to sell the piece in order to help pay the college tuition of their son, Reed, who is currently a high school junior. The family will receive $115,000 of the sale price.
“We are very pleased, of course, with the sale at $115,000,” Scott Garner said Thursday. “It was 18 years of patience and months of work. And we are thrilled for our son.”
Reed Garner visited the piece at the auction house before it was sold. He said he took a moment to thank Haring, and that he hopes he sees the “Radiant Baby” again some day in the future.


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Global flavored syrup giant Monin opens new Reno-Sparks plant after COVID-19 delays
In 2017, international food flavoring giant Monin bought land just north of Reno as it looked to expand its footprint in the West Coast.
Three years and a global pandemic later, production is finally underway at the new 115,000-square-foot Monin West manufacturing and distribution facility after COVID-19 ravaged the restaurants, cafes and food establishments that served as the company’s primary clients.
For a company that had a minimal consumer presence and relied heavily on direct sales to commercial operators, the coronavirus was a significant challenge. At the same time, it also proved to be a rare opportunity for the company to challenge itself and reinvent parts of its business.
In addition to shoring up its main flavored syrup business with new cocktail mixes as well as nutritional boosters, Monin’s U.S. division temporarily switched one of its existing production lines at its Clearwater, Florida plant to make a completely different item: hand sanitizers.
It’s an interesting chapter in a saga that started more than 100 years ago when Monin was founded in France. Since then, Monin has grown into a massive global entity with operations in countries spread across multiple continents.
Past coverage:Food flavoring giant to open facility in Spanish Springs
In the United States, continued growth pushed the company to build a second manufacturing plant. Monin specifically wanted the facility to be located in the western U.S., which would speed up delivery times and also reduce costs as well as the environmental impact when it shipped products to markets such as California. After an expansive search that included the Golden State, Oregon, Utah and the Las Vegas area, Monin settled on a location that has been getting a lot of attention for its logistics, manufacturing and budding technology sector: Reno-Sparks.
As part of the deal to bring Monin to Nevada, the company also received sales and property tax abatements. And while the incentives were beneficial, they were not the primary reason the company picked Reno-Sparks, insists CEO William Lombardo of Florida-based Monin Americas, which oversees the western hemisphere for the French company.
“Northern Nevada with its combination of materials, labor and logistics seemed to line up pretty well,” Lombardo said. “I’ve been there several times and met with a lot of people, including the former governor (Brian Sandoval), and everyone was great and easy to work with.”
Construction of the Northern Nevada facility started and eventually wrapped up in late 2019. Monin eyed a March opening for the new facility, with test runs in January and February proving to be successful.
Then COVID-19 arrived.
‘We kind of put it to sleep for six months’
For a company that relied on sectors that were hit especially hard by COVID-19 shutdowns and social distancing measures, the pandemic proved to be a significant challenge. As restaurants and similar businesses closed either due to government mandates or financial losses, Monin reassessed its plans for the new Reno-Sparks facility.
“Because we sell primarily to restaurants and cafes, we were impacted significantly for the first few months,” Lombardo said. “We ended up holding off on full utilization of the facility and kind of put it to sleep for six months.”
Monin continued to pay its employees at the Reno-Sparks plant, which consisted of a preliminary crew of about 15 people. At the same time, it also looked at its overall business and tried to identify opportunities in a business climate marked by the threat of COVID-19. That’s when the company thought of a product that it can make with its existing equipment while also addressing a need that was being fueled by the pandemic.
“We don’t do anything with alcohol in this country but our parent company in France produces spirit-based products,” Lombardo said. “We never utilized it here but we actually have an alcohol license.”
More business in-depth:Reno-based supersonic jet company Aerion bids au revoir to Biggest Little City
Within 10 days, the company received approval to make hand sanitizers. By April, Monin flipped one of its production lines at its Florida plant to make “a significant amount” of the product. Initially, the company gave away hundreds of hand sanitizers for free to nursing homes, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. With the nation’s supply chain overwhelmed by the surge in demand for products used to prevent the spread of COVID-19, however, hand sanitizers proved to be in short supply in the early phases of the pandemic.
“As a lot of our restaurant customers started reopening in June and July, they said they were having a hard time finding sanitizers for their host and server stations,” Lombardo said.
Monin decided to add hand sanitizers to its list of products available for sale, including at its website. The company would end up “shipping truckloads” of hand sanitizers, according to Lombardo.
As the supply chain caught up and the product became more readily available, however, Monin stopped producing hand sanitizers. The company still had a few thousand cases left and ended up giving out a lot of the product to schools. The company also continues to sell 1-liter hand sanitizer bottles at almost half off for $18 at its website as of Friday.
“Obviously, it’s not our business,” Lombardo said. “But it was a great experience and was much appreciated.”
‘We do expect a significant rebound’
Ultimately, Monin’s business is flavored syrups, which is where the company decided to focus as it identified ways to build on its area of expertise.
“The hand sanitizer was a quick deal that was beneficial in a lot of ways,” Lombardo said. “But we also brought new products to the market and that really helped.”
One is a line of ready-to-use cocktail mixes, which only required people to pour the product over ice with their spirit of choice. The product, which uses natural ingredients such as fruit juice and pure cane sugar, proved to be a big hit, especially as people found themselves spending more time at home due to COVID-19, according to Lombardo.
Another new addition are functional products such as beverage supplements. Long the domain of smoothie bars and natural food outlets, Monin has seen increased interest in its functional line of vitamin and immunity boosters from traditional restaurants, with 15 major franchises currently testing the product.
As customers become more sophisticated and demand healthier fare, such products can also help boost a restaurant’s bottom line, as well as Monin’s.
“Years ago, if you said to a restaurant, ‘You know, you can put this (health booster) in iced tea,’ they would go, ‘Why would we?’ Now, you show it to people and they’ll say ‘Absolutely.’ Customers are asking for this and it gives you a healthy option. It shows you’re receptive to customers’ interests as well,” Lombardo said.
COVID-19 has also proven to be an opportunity for the company to build on the consumer side of its operations. After primarily focusing on serving commercial operations such as restaurants and specialty roasters, Monin has increased sales to consumers through outlets such as Amazon.
“We had a minimal presence directly with consumers and you couldn’t buy our product easily except at the Monin website for the last several years,” Lombardo said. “As things shut down, we expanded our presence in Amazon considerably and … it’s become a huge area of growth for us.”
Monin has also seen a large spike in traffic to its website during COVID-19 as consumers who used the company’s products check out its extensive list of recipes and videos for cocktails, teas, smoothies and frappes, as well as desserts that use its syrups. The recipes, which were originally added to the site as training tools for commercial customers, ended up being popular for regular consumers as well, according to Lombardo.
In the meantime, phase one production is finally in full swing at its new Reno-Sparks plant, which features several advances in technology over its existing Florida facility. Water use, for example, is one-third that of the Clearwater plant, which Monin plans to retrofit to be just as environmentally friendly. The company also plans to grow the 20-person staff at the Northern Nevada site to more than 100 in the next three years while also tripling output at the plant within five years.
Asked about the continuing impact of COVID-19, Lombardo expressed optimism.
“We see that it’s going to take a few months, we know that, and our company is financially strong so we can endure an extended time of (the market) being soft,” Lombardo said. “We do expect a significant rebound in the market by the middle of next year.”
Jason Hidalgo covers business and technology for the Reno Gazette Journal, and also reviews the latest video games. Follow him on Twitter @jasonhidalgo. Like this content? Support local journalism with an RGJ digital subscription.


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The Morning Advertiser speaks to three top operators about how they’ve got on board with social media influencers to help grow their business.
Businesses use social media influencers as a means to help bolster their business – these individuals have a massive influence over potential customers, thus leading to an influx in trade.
Importance of influence
“Social media is one of the ingredients needed for a successful business,” claimed Chris Hill, chief executive officer at New World Trading Company (NWTC).
“When launching a brand in a city that we’ve never traded in before, we look for an influencer known in that area to big up our product.
“More so, you need an influencer who gets your brand and is just as passionate as you about getting your business out there."
Hill added that social media is now a "huge part" of NWTC's Florist brand, which sees customers enquire about bookings over multiple social media platforms.
"We want to use influencers who get to the top of people’s Instagram and Twitter – whether we like it or not – it does impact the decisions people make,” Hill explained.
“Almost 60% of our restaurant bookings come through social media, so it’s really important for us to have a presence on our social networking profiles.”
'Proud to represent'
Aaron Mellor, group managing director at Tokyo Industries, the UK’s second largest nightclub operator, echoed Hill’s thoughts about the importance of finding someone that’s proud to represent your brand.
“We prefer to get people to represent our product for free, but it doesn’t always work out like that,” said Mellor.
“We like our influencers to find us – rather than going out to find them – we want someone that’s proud to represent our brand.”
On the topic of paying influencers, Clement Ogbonnaya, licensee of the Prince of Peckham pub, said he would pay for the right influencer.
“I think it’s cooler when someone else tell you you’re cool,” Ogbonnaya exclaimed.
“I find it key to discovering those really cool sets of people boasting a cult following that can really help your brand elevate.
“We select influencers by looking at our followers, our posts and who’s liked it – this way we stick to our audience."


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VIP Fridge Magnet Gold Winner
Red Tomato Pizza needed an inexpensive way to take on the mega pizza chains, enhance customer loyalty, and increase and improve its delivery service. So the pizza shop teamed up TBWA\RAAD cand created Red Tomato VIP fridge magnets.
Besides serving as a refrigerator decoration, the magnet acts as a VIP pizza “emergency delivery” device for loyal pizza lovers. Customers could push the magnet’s button to automatically place their pizza order of choice. The ordering process is set up using Bluetooth technology via customers’ mobile phones. Customers can update their pizza of choice online, which adjusts the magnet order accordingly. Red Tomato also created a YouTube video to help spread the word.
The service delivered delectable results. By keeping to a marketing budget of $9,000, deliveries skyrocketed 500% within four weeks. Red Tomato Pizza received 3,240 requests from previous customers and 97,133 from new ones. The VIP magnet also experienced a publicity boom with more than 12,000 mentions, 9,400 international news stories—worth more than $8 million in free media. The success of the program also opened the door for global franchise opportunities.
Red Tomato Pizza


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Legacy drinks and alcohol brands are risking their long-term profitability by not responding quickly enough to changing drinking habits, according to a new report launched by OC&C Strategy Consultants.
The report, titled ‘Sobering Up’, underlines the extent that the industry is being disrupted by major market forces; namely the changing of traditional drinking habits, sky-rocketing global inflation, and a growing societal and government focus on brands’ ESG credentials. This is resulting in consumption of traditional alcohol falling, or stagnating in Europe and the U.S. OC&C’s analysis of NHS Health Survey Data showed that almost 30% of 16-24 year olds are abstaining from alcohol, up from 19% in 2011, while average annual beer consumption in the US, UK and Western Europe fell by 1% for 15 years up until 2021, from 76 to 66 litres per person.
As a result, many of the industry’s traditional powerhouses are risking being left behind by not accommodating these significant behavioural and macroeconomic shifts, and if they aren’t already, losing out to emerging products and brands.
Marek Zdziech, Partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants, comments: “The behemoths of the drinks industry have tended to sail through previous market pressures, as baby boomers and early millennials continued to lap up the traditional offerings. This has without question ingrained an element of complacency, and as our report shows, the old way of doing business is now not quite as fool proof. Granted, some companies have demonstrated recognition and the number of alcohol-free options across the industry has grown, but incrementalism will not be enough.”
OC&C’s report specifically identifies 5 radical changes affecting the drinks industry:
1. Drinks innovation is failing to recruit younger consumers
With younger consumers drinking less, and an increasing proportion abstaining from alcohol altogether, there is a growing demand for a broader variety of drinks that cater for modern day drinking habits.
But innovation remains broadly lacking amongst the industry’s major players, with aping, the impersonation of existing market products, currently winning out over large-scale innovation. This is exemplified by the significant investment behind hard seltzers in Europe, which have been extremely popular in the US in line with its low-calorie alcohol culture, with OC&C forecasting the market share for hard seltzers in the U.S. to reach 20% by 2025, up from 0% in 2016. However, to date they have struggled to gain traction in Europe due to fundamental differences in consumer habits, specifically a general air of scepticism towards low-calorie alcohol.
2. Inflation is threatening margins
The drinks industry has not escaped the impact of rising global cost inflation. Rising commodity and energy prices are eating into margins, and profitability of many of the industry’s major players will come under threat.
In order to withstand the pressure on squeezed household budgets, brands need the confidence to set higher prices and must convince consumers to trust them that they are providing value. Suppliers need to de-clutter their propositions and then invest behind these winning brands.
3. Reaching consumers has become complex
The ways that brands need to reach consumers is also changing. Over the course of the lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, when consumers were forced to move away from drinking in pubs and bars, supermarkets and discounters capitalised, and in 2021, increased their share of the drinks market by 16.9% in the UK according to OC&C analysis.
Brands can no longer safely rely on creating an emotional relationship with consumers in upmarket bars and hotels. The grocery environment is becoming increasingly functional and transparent thanks to the rapid rise of discounters and greater market digitisation, with eCommerce, qCommerce, the industry term for the rapid delivery model, and Direct-to-Consumer on the rise. This has created fresh challenges for brands looking to entice consumers to try new or more premium products in a functional shopping environment, while also seeking to protect their margins.
4. Societies and governments are getting serious about ESG
Consumers are demanding more socially conscious and environmental behaviours from the brands whose products they consume. Worryingly for brands, when consumer sentiment shifts, it is easier for regulators to enforce action they deem appropriate.
It is projected that the drinks sector will go the same way as petrol and tobacco by soon having to combat tougher advertising regulations. Ireland’s recent banning of alcohol advertising at sporting events in 2021 indicates a sign of things to come.
5. The ‘Beyond Drink’ market is getting crowded
A growing suite of companies from both the alcohol and soft drink sectors have taken note of the potential of the adult ‘Beyond Drink’ market, which counts low alcohol and alcohol free drinks.
Products released by The Coca Cola Company (Top Chico Hard Seltzer) and Pepsico (HARD MTN DEW) suggest the traditional soft drink powerhouses are sensing opportunities to grab market share in the traditional domain of the alcohol players.
Marek Zdziech, continues: “We can expect to see profound change in the drinks industry in the next decade. In this new world of more discerning drinkers and sky-high inflation, the major drinks companies need to channel their focus on to their brands which will be winners over the long term, rather than spreading resources thinly. These important decisions come at a time when the industry is bracing itself for more regulatory scrutiny and pressure to demonstrate tangible progress on their ESG strategies, specifically in relation to their social impact and making a difference in local communities.”


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Other bike-rental companies are considering raising prices, as warmer weather brings a likely rebound in trip numbers.
Chinese bike-rental firms, Mobike and Hello Transtech, expressed their willingness to enter the bidding.
All of China’s most visible mobility players have undergone significant change over the last 12 months.
Didi hopes new strategies will help it complete a U-turn that will get it out of the dead-end in which it finds itself.
Foshan will require Mobike, ofo, and other bike rental companies to hand over users blacklisted for bad parking.


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Within just four years, Wendy’s International has turned from a brand that relied on traditional marketing strategies into a formidable digital player in the highly competitive fast-food industry. Its secret weapon? Social and native advertising.
The fast-food brand didn’t rethink its approach to marketing until Brandon Rhoten joined the chain in 2011. As the company’s vice president of digital and social media, Rhoten has set up the digital practice and built partnerships with agencies and big social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Rhoten and his team have executed a series of successful digital campaigns. Among them is “Pretzel Love Song.” In July of last year, Wendy’s initiated the #pretzellovesongs campaign to promote the return of its pretzel bun. For the campaign, the company took tweets and Facebook comments generated by its consumers and turned them into a music video.
Like “Pretzel Love Song,” most of Wendy’s digital activities target 18- to 34-year-olds (Millennials). “We have a large variety of product, so we target based on product more than anything else. But primarily we target 18- to 34-year-old individuals online,” Rhoten said during his panel discussion at the MMA Forum this week.
To enhance its digital strategy, Wendy’s has a big presence on Twitter and Facebook. As of now, the brand has approximately 724,000 Twitter followers and more than 5.1 million Facebook likes, and the numbers are growing.
As there are 6,500 locations worldwide and 5,700 in the U.S., each Wendy’s restaurant has set up its regional Facebook account for search purposes, but Rhoten and his team have centralized control over Wendy’s official Facebook and Twitter accounts in order to maintain brand continuity.
So how does Wendy’s leverage social and native to engage with Millennials? What metrics does it look at in terms of return on investment (ROI)? And what are the right Twitter and Facebook strategies for multi-location businesses like Wendy’s?
You can find answers to those questions and more in our video interview with Rhoten below.


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In the post on Sunday, Vogue described 20-year-old Gao Qizhen as a model who “brings a kind of singular appeal.”
“The Shanghai-born textile-design student at the London College of Fashion, wound up in front of the camera by happenstance,” the magazine wrote. “She was scouted in the campus canteen on her lunch break. One of the photographers who spotted her was assisting at the London-based Anti-Agency (which prides itself on its iconoclastic taste), and it turned out to be the right match.”
With wide-set eyes, fine eyebrows, a flat nose bridge and a distinctive mole at the top, Gao sees her physical appearance apart from most models.
She herself acknowledged her unconventional looks in the accompanying interview, saying, “Anti is a word that applies perhaps as a negative thing in some fields, but in terms of fashion and modeling I think it challenges the norms of beauty and looks.”
Gao’s profile immediately triggered a debate among Instagram users, some of whom accused Vogue of racism and “uglifying” Chinese people.
Some simply slammed Gao’s looks.
However, some defended the magazine and praised its celebration of diversity.
Others appreciated Gao’s looks.
Vogue has not released an official statement in response to the controversy, but an employee who requested to be anonymous told the Global Times that the magazine may have only intended to celebrate Chinese culture.
“Vogue probably intended to highlight the oriental features by using the model. But I personally think it is a spread on Chinese culture, as her makeup is quite in the Chinese style.”
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MAKATI CITY—The Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF) held recently at a top hotel here recently showcased creations of designers based in three countries but its mission was to promote modesty and the “gentle spirit of Islam.”
Malaysian Tourism Minister Dato Sri Ng Yen Yen and Dato Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad, Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines, led the IFF charity gala dinner held last week. Former President Fidel Ramos attended the event.
The Malaysian Tourism Luxury Gala Lunch held the next day, Feb. 24, was graced by Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Distribution of Cebu Pacific Air; and AirAsia-Philippines CEO Marianne Hontiveros.
In her speech, Yen said their country of 28 million people received 24.7 million foreign tourists in 2011, ranking ninth among all countries in the world in terms of the number of foreign visitors. She also represented Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Malaysian Prime Minister and patron of the IFF.
Yen said they aimed to have 36 million tourists bringing in US$1 billion in tourism receipts weekly in 2020.
She asked tourists to shop at “your heart’s content” as the Malaysian government last January declared all its products “duty free.”
Describing Malaysia as a country with “great diversity,” Yen said they also offer “glorious food.”
Saad said, “Islam appreciates all beauty and it is modest.”
He said the IFF was started to neutralize the notion that Islam is associated with “violence” following the 9/11 (September 11, 2011) tragedy when domestic American commercial planes were hijacked and used by suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists to attack targets in the US mainland, killing about 3,000 people.
The IFF fashion show was also held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; London, England; Jakarta, Indonesia; New York; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Astana, Kazakhstan; and Singapore. The designers are Milo Migliavacca of Bali, Indonesia; Melinda Looi, Syaiful Baharim, Tom and Abang Saufi of Kuala Lumpur; and JC Buendia, Jun Escario and Veejay Floresca of Manila.
The Allianze University College of Medical Sciences, Museo Pambata, Philippine Public Safety College and Viranie Foundation Inc. benefited from the IFF charity dinner, said the organizers in Manila led by former Tarlac Gov. Margarita Cojuangco.
Andrea Manzano, second AVP sales of Star Cruises based in Pasay City, said the leading cruise line in the Asia Pacific Region had donated $50,000 to the IFF.
“The IFF is highly successful. It’s a great way to promote culture and fashion,” said Manzano, saying that the Star Cruises’ SuperStar Virgo based in Singapore had made Mallacca and Penang in Malaysia as their priority destinations.
The Tourism Malaysia, major sponsor of the IFF, invited the Alliance of Travel and Tour Agencies of Pampanga (ATTAP) led by Gilda Padua as major airlines are poised to offer new or add flights to Malaysia via the Clark International Airport.
Raja Rezza Shah, founder and chairman of the IFF, expressed delight for staging of the fashion show “for the very first time in Manila.”
He said the IFF will have its debut this year in Bali, Paris in France and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. It will be held for the second time in London and Abu Dhabi.
Discover Malaysia – Click Here
Source: Business Mirror


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NEW YORK — Larry Couey keeps diving in — even if it means swimming upstream a bit.
Maybe Couey’s inspiration is derived from being based along the banks of the Delaware River in artsy New Hope, Pa. Or maybe it’s that he’s weathered enough ups and downs over a 25-plus year career in the beauty industry to know business has its cycles.
Whatever the motivator, Couey, founder and president of Revelations Perfume & Cosmetics, is preparing to launch another scent in the troubled mass fragrance market. According to Information Resources Inc. sales of mass market women’s fragrances slipped 6.8 percent to $363 million for the year ended Feb. 23, excluding Wal-Mart. While sales of Revelations’ women’s scent Truth still represents less than 1 percent of the market, it has been showing promise. Retail sales increased 31 percent to $820,000 for the same period. Adding Wal-Mart — which accounts for 20 percent of Revelations business — brings its total retail sales to more than $1 million. Revelations also markets a men’s scent — Truth for Men — and has extended the women’s Truth brand into scented lotions and gels.
Meanwhile, in the spirit of David and Goliath, Couey continues a legal battle with Calvin Klein over the sale of Calvin Klein’s Truth fragrances in mass market outlets. In 2000, Revelations sold the Truth trademark to Calvin Klein with the provision that Revelations can develop the Truth Revelations line for sale in food, drug and mass merchant stores. Couey claims Calvin has violated the agreement by allowing the sale of Calvin Klein Truth fragrances in mass doors. The lawsuit, filed in September 2002, is still in the discovery phase.
The latest fragrance from Revelations — Loving — will be in stores for Mother’s Day. The positioning, like Revelation’s Truth and Truth for Men, is uplifting. "We aspire to live in a loving world and we each need to play a part in the effort to bring it forth," says the company in marketing materials for the scent. The tag line for the scent is "Soft and Reassuring. Always New." A sensual floral, Loving, is a blend of Italian mandarin, pink pepper, Turkish rose, water jasmine, lily of the valley and the essence of white gardenia. It is finished with white musks, blond woods and sheer amber. It was designed by Wessel of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. A 3.4-oz. eau de parfum spray is $21.95; the 1.7-oz. is $15.95. There is also a 0.5-oz. purse spray for $7.50. Couey declined to comment, but sources predict Loving’s first-year sales could hit $1 million to $1.5 million.Couey says that Revelations is "here for the long haul. We are trying to build successful brands." CVS, Eckerd, Duane Reade, Albertson’s, Longs and Brooks Drug, have already agreed to take on Loving, according to Couey. And a men’s version — Loving Man — will be out in time for Father’s Day 2004, he added.
To support its fragrance lineup, Revelations has created two ad campaigns. One spread will feature Truth on one side and Truth for Men on the other. The other campaign will offer a page for Loving and a page for Truth. The ads will contain scent strips and appear in spring and fall magazines.
@chanel and @pharrell dropped what’s being dubbed as the world’s most exclusive sneakers yesterday. The Adidas Originals NMD Hu, which Williams designed in collaboration with Chanel and @adidasoriginals, has a waiting list of over 120K people who pre-registered online at chanelatcolette.fr –– and only 500 pairs are on sale. The singer predicted the resale value of the shoes could reach $40K. Read the full interview on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdfashion (📷: Dominique Maître)
@imanshumpert is diving deeper into his creative endeavors and relaunching his clothing line, Post 90s, and is helping to raise money for the hurricane victims in St. Maarten with a jersey he’s designed with his brother. The Cleveland Cavaliers player talked to WWD about kneeling during the national anthem, working with fashion brands and how he wants to be more than an @nba player. Read the interview on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: George Chinese)
Not only does #TheProfit return to CNBC tonight, but @marcuslemonis has launched @shopmarcus, a new shopping and lifestyle retail experience in Aspen and Chicago, with more locations to come. The retail stores offer in-store stylists and a variety of contemporary womenswear selections.
“It’s life, I’m going to face it,” @mingxi11 sighed. “I fell, but you know, I think the most important thing is that I get back up. I had the love, the help from my sister — the girl next to me Gizele [Oliveira] — she’s so nice. When I went backstage everybody was trying to comfort me like ‘Oh Ming, it’s OK.’ I’m really, really touched. I think it’s them who gave me the courage to go back on stage for the finale,” Xi told WWD of her fall at the @victoriassecret fashion show. (📷: David Fisher) #wwdfashion #vsfashionshow #victoriassecret
@louisvuitton tapped @therealpeterlindbergh for its latest city-centric photo book, which is part of a series called Fashion Eye. The primarily black and white book captures the spirit of Berlin in 57 images shot between 1989 and 2019. “Berlin is an inspiration for me, more than a city. I mean @millajovovich is simply Berlin!” said Lindbergh. #wwdfashion
“You know, I think audiences expect a certain performance so I have to deliver to them what they’re expecting to a certain degree. But I’m also a different actor and a different person, I have my own spin on the character,” says @noahegalvin of his takeover of the leading role in “Dear Evan Hansen” following the departure of @bensplatt, who originated the role. Read WWD’s interview with the 23-year-old actor on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
For pre-fall 2018, @etro created richly-colored wonderland, using tapestries, textiles and wallpapers from the Eastern world at large. The line featured floral and graphic prints and jacquard motifs, like this two-piece look featured here. #wwdfashion (📷: Giovanna Pavesi)
@kith is moving into children’s. The men’s and women’s streetwear brand has launched Kidset, a Kith kids line located in New York at 64 Bleecker Street. The line includes mini versions of staple Kith pieces like the Astor bomber jacket and the Kith box logo sweatshirts, along with a wall that can display up to 120 pairs of shoes from @adidas, @newbalance, @timberland and more. #wwdfashion
“I just wanted to create this fully rounded character, but I do think what excited me most was just the opportunity to give a group of people representation that I feel needs it. I like to do characters in projects that stand for something and Karolina definitely does, so that was really exciting to me,” @ginnygardner says of her new role in @hulu’s “The Runaways.” Gardner plays Karolina Dean, a queer superhero, which is a rarity for @marvel. Read more about Gardner’s character on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @dandoperalski)


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In 2019, Renée Zellweger is (still) just about as ageless as it gets.
On February 24, 2019, the actress made a rare red carpet appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party—her first official red carpet appearance since December 2017. Zellweger, who's famous for her roles in Bridget Jones' Diary, Jerry Maguire and Chicago, looked relaxed and elegant in a form-fitting black dress by British label A.W.A.K.E., which featured an elongated neckline and frilled sleeves.
However, we couldn't take our eyes off the 49-year-old's ageless visage, and strikingly minimal beauty look. Maybe it has something to do with her red carpet appearances being few and far between, but at the 2019 Vanity Fair party, Zellweger stole the show (only to be overshadowed by Kendall Jenner's barely-there red carpet display).
To prove she's as stunning now as she's ever been, scroll down for all of Zellweger's most memorable beauty moments, from the earliest days of her career until now.